Bollards: A Comprehensive Buyers Guide
Bollards are one of the most effective and widely used solutions for controlling vehicle access, protecting pedestrians, and safeguarding buildings in both public and private spaces. From simple parking control to high-security anti-ram protection, choosing the right type of bollard is essential to ensure safety, functionality, and long-term durability. This guide will walk you through the different types of bollards available, where they are best used, and how to select the right solution for your specific requirements. We will also cover installation methods and which works best for your location, as well as planning considerations and 'need-to-know' tidbits on how to maximise the effectiveness of your bollards and ensure the pedestrian and commercial site safety, whilst maintaining a professional aesthetic for your environment.
Types of Bollards
Not all bollards are the same - each type is designed for a different purpose. Whether you need a permanent barrier, a flexible access solution, or high-level protection, choosing the right type is essential. Below, we break down the main options to help you find the best fit for your needs.
Fixed Bollards
Fixed, or static, bollards are best for permanent protection where access is never required. Strong, durable and tamper-resistant, these bollards are ideal for shop-fronts, delineating perimeters, and ensuring pedestrian safety. Whilst designed to be concreted into the ground for long-term stability, our fixed bollards are also compatible with our 'LockBlock' products, allowing them to be removable if required.
High-Visibility Bollards
Our high-visibility bollards are designed to maximise attention in high-risk locations including road crossings, particularly outside of schools, play areas, and parks. Manufactured from steel with a painted body and a stark white top-cap, these bollards ensure pedestrian safety is prioritised. They are designed to be concreted into the ground, but are also compatible with our 'LockBlock' product for optional removal capabilities.
Impact-Friendly Bollards
Ideal for use in car parks, delivery bays, and drive-through lanes, our impact-friendly bollards have a spring-loaded pivoting system allowing for 45 degree inclination. The self-resetting design returns the bollard to the upright position allowing for minor collisions without need for replacements. Ideal for retrofit installations using the ground hoops supplied. This is a problem-solving bollard not suitable for high security or anti-ram use.
Folding Bollards
Fold-down bollards are ideal for spaces where access is required temporarily, whether it's a private driveway, residential development, or an allocated parking space. Using a 14mm triangle key, the bollard can switch from a fold-down position to being locked upright reducing access. These bollards are not suitable for high-security or anti-ram purposes, and should be considered only for access control, and not impact resistance.
Retractable Bollards
Ideal for use in driveways, commercial sites, and private access roads, these retractable, or telescopic, bollards can be lowered into the ground allowing access without visual clutter. The bollards are housed in a galvanised steel chamber and operate with a gas piston system to assist with smooth vertical movement. These may not be ideal where installation depth is limited, or ground conditions make excavation difficult.
Anti-Ram Bollards
With rising safety concerns in urban environments, anti-ram bollards have become essential for protecting high-traffic pedestrian areas and critical sites such as shop-fronts, banks, and marketplaces. Designed to be filled with poured concrete and rebar these heavy duty bollards are one of the most effective physical barriers available in stopping both accidental and deliberate vehicle intrusion.
Common Bollard Installation Methods
Below we document how common bollard installation methods fall into three core approaches, each suited to different site conditions and security needs. Concrete-in installation sets the bollard into a concrete foundation for maximum strength. The bolt-down method secures it to an existing slab, ideal where excavation isn’t practical. Finally, buried retractable systems sit below ground, allowing the bollard to raise and lower for flexible, unobtrusive protection.
✔️ Concrete-In (Root Fixed)
- The bollard is set directly into the ground within a hole excavated to the appropriate depth, and secured then into place with concrete
- This method of installation provides the highest level of strength and impact resistance without compromise.
- Commonly used for: Anti-ram bollards, perimeter protection, public realm installations, and for delineating busy pedestrian streets.
- The gold-standard installation method for permanent, medium-to-high security applications.
✔️ Bolt-Down (Surface Mounted)
- These bollards are fixed onto an existing concrete surface using anchor bolts, ideal for retrofitting.
- Ideal for a faster install, causing less disruption to the surrounding environment.
- Commonly used for: warehouses, temporary or retrofit projects, and car parks - specifically our 'impact-friendly' range of bollards.
- Ideal where excavation is not possible due to lack of available depth or due to pre-existing pipes and cables.
✔️ Below-Ground Systems (Retractable / Telescopic)
- These bollards are installed within a steel chamber beneath ground level with gas powered pistons assisting easy lowering and raising.
- They require excavation and very careful alignment to ensure a smooth vertical movement.
- Ideal for driveways, controlled access points, and high-end commercial applications, anywhere flexible access control is a necessity.
- Providing a clean, unobtrusive finish when not in use.
Planning and Regulatory Considerations
In the UK, the installation of bollards, particularly for Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM), is governed by a combination of security standards and pedestrian accessibility guidelines. The core objective is to balance "Asset Protection" with "Inclusive Mobility." The following details reflect the requirements from the Department for Transport (DfT), the National Protective Security Authority (NPSA) (formerly CPNI), and specifically Traffic Advisory Leaflet (TAL) 02/13.
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1. Spacing Regulations
Spacing is the most critical factor for both security (stopping a vehicle) and accessibility (allowing pedestrians and wheelchairs to pass).
- Security Standard (The 1.2m Rule): To prevent a standard vehicle from squeezing through, the maximum "clear air gap" between bollards must be 1,200mm.
- Accessibility Standard: To comply with the Equality Act 2010 and Inclusive Mobility guidelines, the minimum gap should be 1,000mm to allow comfortable passage for wheelchairs, double prams, and mobility scooters.
- The "Sweet Spot": Most professional installations aim for a consistent 1,100mm to 1,200mm gap to satisfy both requirements.
2. Location & Placement
Where a bollard is placed affects its structural integrity and its impact on the streetscape.
- Kerb Offset: Bollards should be set back at least 450mm to 500mm from the kerb face. This prevents them from being struck by the wing mirrors of large vehicles or overhangs from HGVs.
- Stand-off Distance: Per NPSA/CPNI guidance, bollards should be positioned to maximize the distance between a potential vehicle threat (or blast) and the building. However, they should avoid creating "pinch points" at building entrances.
- Alignment: Bollards should be placed in a consistent line. Staggered or "random" placements are discouraged as they create navigation hazards for the visually impaired.
3. Utility Checks
The ground beneath any installation site has the potential to be a "spaghetti junction" of essential services. Striking a main can lead to massive fines, service outages, or fatal accidents.
The Statutory Search
Before any shovel hits the ground, you must perform a Statutory Utility Search. This involves contacting the "Big Four" service providers:
- Electricity: High-voltage cables feeding your venue or the streetlights.
- Gas: Main supply lines (hitting these can lead to site evacuations).
- Water & Sewage: Often found deeper, but still at risk from heavy piling.
- Telecoms: Fibre-optic cables for your venue’s Wi-Fi and POS systems.
PAS 128 & The "CAT" Scan
The UK standard for utility detection is PAS 128. At a minimum, your installer should use:
- CAT Scan (Cable Avoidance Tool): Detects "live" electrical signals.
- Genny (Signal Generator): Used to trace specific pipes or cables that don't emit a natural signal.
The Danger of "Shallow Services"
While many utilities are buried 600mm–900mm deep, you cannot rely on this. Over decades of road resurfacing, "ground creep" can mean that high-voltage cables or gas spurs are sitting just 300mm below the surface.
4. Design Considerations
Design isn't just about aesthetics; it’s a safety requirement for different user groups.
- Height: Standard heights should be between 900mm and 1,100mm. Bollards shorter than this can be a trip hazard, especially for the partially sighted.
- Visual Contrast: Under DfT guidelines, bollards must have a contrasting band (usually 50mm–150mm wide) near the top, or have a Light Reflectance Value (LRV) that differs from the rest of the bollard and the background by at least 30 points. This ensures they are visible against the pavement in low-light conditions. It is up to the buyer to ensue the bollard they choose is suitable for its intended location.
- Diameter: While there is no strict regulation on width, HVM bollards are typically 100mm to 300mm in diameter. Thinner bollards are harder for the visually impaired to detect with a cane.
5. Movement Impact
The DfT's Traffic Advisory Leaflet 02/13 specifically studied how bollard arrays affect pedestrian flow. Key findings include
- Flow Capacity: Bollards spaced at 1,200mm have a negligible effect on "Route Capacity." Pedestrians naturally adjust their stride with a delay of less than one second.
- Perpendicular vs. Parallel: Bollards placed perpendicular to the flow of traffic (across a path) cause pedestrians to slow slightly to "negotiate" the gap. Bollards placed parallel (along the kerb) often cause pedestrians to leave a wider "buffer zone," effectively narrowing the usable path width.
- Conflict Zones: TAL 02/13 warns against placing bollards in areas where pedestrian flows intersect (e.g., outside a busy station entrance), as the need to navigate the bollards significantly increases the risk of pedestrian-on-pedestrian collisions.
